


three words... in theory

by occultisaperta



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Cute, Depression, Distance, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Moving, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Rae is a good sister, They love each other, relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:34:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28879551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/occultisaperta/pseuds/occultisaperta
Summary: Sykkuno has moved to Vegas and Corpse isn't exactly happy with the fact that he missed his opportunity to tell him how he felt. Again.After his little 'I'm in--' slip up on Raft, Rae isn't going to let it go until Corpse actually does something about it.
Relationships: Corpse Husband/Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 100
Kudos: 656





	1. i'm in--

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to write a longer fic with these two so i could really explore relationship dynamics and play with the development and their personalities and anxieties. everyone has been so encouraging on my other stories, so i decided to go ahead and take the plunge and start.
> 
> especially after that scene on raft where corpse almost confessed. again. and rae called him out on it.

How many times was he _almost_ going to confess? Even though he'd managed to get _away_ with the words that had spilled out of his mouth... Rae had noticed.

Sykkuno, stuttering through his words like he _always_ did when he was saying that people didn't like him...

_"I... you know... just... people aren't really into... never mind."_

_"I'm in-- yeah..." Almost. He almost got it out this time._

And then Rae laughed, spilled out a 'wait, what, Corpse?!' and everything had nearly flipped upside down. If Jade hadn't made an offhand statement that he could latch onto, that would have been the end of it. He wasn't sure if he would have been able to backpedal this time with the way that Rae had caught on to what he'd _started_ to say and quickly swallowed. 

_"Wait, Corpse, what..? What was that? Did you just--"_ Sykkuno's voice was a hell of a lot harder to ignore than Rae's. Soft... sweet. Asking for clarification to the point that he _nearly_ gave it. He _almost_ told him what he'd been about to say. It was three simple words; it shouldn't have been that hard.

_I'm into you._

But he didn't -- he never did. This had happened before, multiple times. He'd almost told him when they were alone in the Among Us lobby. And then there'd been that one time when Sykkuno had said that girls weren't into him and Eddison had chimed in that if girls weren't, he knew a few guys that were -- one in particular.

_Yeah... I know... I know a couple._

And then later when he'd watched the stream from Sykkuno's twitch page, Sykkuno had laughed and blushed and covered his face -- _the way Corpse said that!_

The way he'd said that...

Honestly, if it had been anyone else in the world, they would have realized -- they would have known that there was _something_ going on... but Sykkuno was...

Sykkuno.

It was a blessing and a curse that he seemed so completely oblivious to all of the times that Corpse had almost confessed his feelings, and all of those times that he'd so innocently seemed to reciprocate. He couldn't tell if he meant it or if...

Things were _strange._

There was a certain levity in the situation, if only because they were obviously very _popular_ on the internet together. You'd have to be an idiot and blind not to see that their followers were observant. Even Rae had started to act on it; calling him out like she had, making Sykkuno go to sleep on top of him. There were times that she gave offhanded comments that almost felt encouraging.

Almost like she knew something that he didn't.

_I'm in..._

_I'm into you._

"I'm into you." A gravel voice spoke the words aloud that had gotten caught in his throat before, and he was actually a little pissed at how easily they escaped now that he was alone. What was worse, Sykkuno was _further_ away now. It wasn't all that bad; a few hours of driving... but it was still more than before. He'd spent so long incapable of saying anything that the idea that Sykkuno could have moved in with him (one that he'd wanted to suggested multiple times) had never even managed to spill out of his mouth, let alone get past the thickness of his tongue. He hadn't even been able to breathe a deep enough breath to fill his lungs with air so he could say it aloud, because his chest was always tight when he was around Sykkuno. 

His computer suddenly blipped, and his eyes instantly darted to the screen.

It was Rae, and he was only _slightly_ crestfallen. 

> _valkyrae: sat the lobby up for Thursday. maybe you won't stumble over your words this time.  
>  _

Corpse stared at the screen and her obviously astute deduction. He'd asked her to set it up for him and she hadn't even questioned the fact that Sykkuno was the first person she needed to invite. 

For a moment, he wasn't sure how to reply. After a moment, he tapped in a few words.

> _Corpse: thank u. nothing to stumble over._

It probably wasn't smart to play stupid around her. She was damn good at sussing people out -- she'd proved it multiple times while they were playing games. But it was the best he could do, since he was still struggling with his emotions silently on his own. 

> _valkyrae: shut up. of course there is. he isn't that far away._

He.

She wasn't even pretending to skirt around the issue anymore. It was almost as though she was flustered at the fact that he'd let him move without saying anything.

> _valkyrae: i know you're reading this. stop being so in your head. it's not too late._
> 
> _Corpse: thanks for setting up the lobby. talk to u tomorrow._

He switched his status to away on discord, though his eyes drifted for a moment to the name that was on his mind. _Sykkuno._

_It's not too late._

While he was staring at the yellow dot, it flickered to green. A low grunt poured from his throat and he sighed. His hand hesitated, mouse scrolling to click -- like he was going to be able to swallow his anxiety enough to leave a message, to say anything. He clicked anyway.

He stared at the words that they'd said.

And he jumped slightly when his phone vibrated. 

His eyes widened -- Sykkuno. 

**_Sy._ **

He was texting him. 

> _Sy: Saw that you were away on Discord. Wanted to double check when we were streaming Among Us. Can't wait :)_

That little smiley face felt like it was just for him, and Corpse sat back in his chair and sighed. He felt his lips tug into a small grin. Somewhere a few hours away, Rae was probably screaming in triumph.

Impulse took him over and he hit the call button on the phone -- it only rang for half a trill before a voice picked up. Soft and smooth and sweet.

"Oh h-hey, Corpse! I wasn't bothering you, was I? I just wanted to... because Rae didn't tell me. Or she did, but she told me two different times just now, and I--" 

Rae had obviously done it on purpose. That was probably why she'd messaged him. She was clever and probably a little too smug.

"Hey, Sykkuno. Sorry to call, I was just," he needed a lie, "Rearranging my stream room so I needed my hands free." That was a fairly lame lie, but the 'hmmm' on the other end of the line was proof that it had been accepted. 

"I don't mind, Corpse! It's always nice to hear your voice." Corpse closed his eyes for a moment and the image of Sykkuno flashed behind his darkened gaze. When he said things like that he always smiled, blushed, covered his face with his hand. He was probably doing that right now. He kept his lids shut to keep the image firmly there.

"It's nice to hear... to hear your voice, too, Sy. I'll message you the time so you have it written down." A beat, a pause, because the reason that he'd called was fulfilled as soon as he texted him the time frame, and Corpse didn't want to get off of the call just yet. "How's the move treating you?"

It was a lame question because moves were always complicated and hard. Sykkuno was anxious, and you always had to interact with new people during the process.

He didn't even have a _bed._

"It's a little rough. The weather here is different. It's colder," Sykkuno laughed. "I wasn't expecting that." He laughed again, "Really wish I'd gotten one of your hoodies now."

Corpse answered before he could stop himself, before he could talk himself into missing yet another opportunity, "I could get you one if you're cold." He had the one that had been sent to him; he'd been wearing it, but that was okay. He could always get another one... and if Sykkuno wanted it... 

It couldn't be that cold. Vegas was only ten degrees cooler than Los Angeles. But it was an excuse... a reason to... maybe, if he could talk himself into it...

"You don't have to if it's trouble. I just--" Sykkuno paused, "I mean, I would love to have it, I just... uh... I..."

"I can get it to you, Sy. The address is the one you sent me, right?"

He'd given all of his friends his new address, and Corpse was thrilled when he was on that list of reciprocants. A small idea was forming in his head. He _had_ told him he would hand-deliver it.

He had warned him.

Sykkuno hadn't seemed opposed to the idea at the time.

And it wasn't like Sykkuno was running around and interacting with so many people that Corpse had to worry about that...

"Do you... do you want it?" Corpse's voice was soft, his chest tight at the question. This wasn't what Rae wanted, but maybe it would work out. 

"S-sure. That would be nice. I... I mean... it shouldn't take too long to mail it to--"

"I can bring it." He had to say the words before he talked himself out of it. There was the complication of getting there, making sure he had time -- making sure it didn't interfere with anything that he had scheduled... ~~talking himself into letting Sykkuno see him in person. Swallowing down the anxiety of rejection when he did. Wondering if he could take a deep enough breath this time to say what he wanted to say.~~

There was a small pause on the phone, a strangled little sound on Sykkuno's end that made Corpse's throat tight and his face warm. And then a small laugh.

"I thought you were just joking about that!" But he didn't sound _upset_ about the idea. In fact, that little strangled noise had been really... sweet. "I mean, I wouldn't ever say no to you, Corpse! But you don't have to if it's trouble or your anxious about it. I know you don't like going into public and I don't want you to have to drive for--"

"I like driving, it's okay." He interrupted him before Sykkuno could panic himself into a reason why he couldn't come. Before his panic became infection and they both decided the idea was too crazy.

"A... are you sure? I mean, it would be nice. To see you -- uh, I mean, to see any of my friends. I know I just moved, but--" He was still working himself into a tizzy, like he did when he said something suggestive on his streams. Corpse could still see it; red-faced, hand over a smile that wasn't hidden perfectly behind fingers, his eyes sweet and crinkled and hair falling into his gaze. 

"Yeah. Maybe I'll hit up some slot machines while I'm there. I have a gambling problem, you know?" The idea was absurd. They both knew that he would never step foot into a casino in real life.

But Sykkuno laughed, and Corpse laughed because Sykkuno laughed... and somehow, everything in his chest was shifting slightly and a measure of calm that he only felt when he was talking to the older male settled over him. He would probably panic about the entire situation when they were off of the phone. He would tell himself a thousand reasons why it was a bad idea.

But for now, all that his head could think was that he was going to see Sykkuno, _finally_ , and it had only taken him moving out of the state to talk himself into it.

_It's not too late._

He pulled up Discord while Sykkuno started talking about Bimbus and how he was going to miss him, and maybe he would get another dog but he was thinking that he should get a _cat_ and name it _Bingus_ instead, because wouldn't the internet go crazy, and wouldn't Corpse think that was funny -- Corpse was laughing hard enough that he had to cough to clear his throat. The sound masked him typing into Discord perfectly.

> _Corpse: ur a real bitch, you know._
> 
> _valkyrae: do you need someone to go with you to keep you out of the casinos?_

Because she knew.

Of course, she knew.

And he couldn't even be mad about it... because he was going to see Sykkuno. And maybe... maybe he would finally manage to tell him how he felt.

_I'm into you._

It was three little words. 

So easy... in theory.


	2. nerves are--

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corpse has to make the drive, and he isn't sure how long he's actually staying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to decide how much of what they're doing/done and how much of speculation to add to this. Honestly, they're giving me too much material.

Things had been  _ a little crazy  _ since they'd made plans to meet. Corpse could have gone there immediately -- he had the hoodie he'd been wearing... but life seemed to have different plans. They were both busy. Sykkuno had to get furniture and unpack, and he had doctor appointments. By the time that he had the free time to visit Sykkuno, he'd managed to get one in his actual size. He still packed the one that he was going to bring him, just in case. He had mentioned wanting two, after all.

It wasn't all bad, though. There was something obviously different in the way that they were interacting. Corpse couldn't pinpoint it, but it was a shift of  _ knowing _ that they were going to see one another soon, and the knowledge that they were just made him think about Sykkuno even more than usual.

He could tell that people noticed -- their friends were even subtly (or not so subtly on Rae's part, with some of her thumbnails and the way that she teased) pointing it out. The internet was going wild with compilations of their reactions. And even Sykkuno, who seemed to be a master at obliviousness when it came to how people felt about him, was giggling more, reacting to the things that he said and did.

Corpse had taken to watching Sykkuno's streams every time they were on, and he found himself both more comforted and more frustrated in doing so.

It wasn't a bad frustration, though.

And worse... Sykkuno seemed to be  _ teasing _ him. One time could be forgiven -- a reference to choking and how it made him think of him wasn't completely out of character for the shy streamer. 

Saying that he wasn't sure if he was into it or not and then playing his song was... a different thing altogether.

Going so far as to say that Corpse dominated things..?

It was almost like he was doing it on purpose.

The innocent giggles didn't fool him. 

Corpse had a feeling that he was  _ definitely _ _ doing it _ on purpose. He just didn't know what that meant.

* * *

He wasn't sure how much to pack for the trip. It was a five-hour drive. He could, in theory, make it there and stay long enough to deliver the merch and then make it back with no real trouble. His body would probably be a little fatigued from being in the car for so long. He might be a little physically drained for the next few days if he didn't get a break... but if it meant that he could see Sykkuno in person, he would take it. 

He could have just discussed it with him, but the tightness in his chest at the thought of Sykkuno telling him that he wanted him to leave after he dropped it off was too much; it was making his anxiety spike all the more in the days leading up to the trip. 

So he packed enough for a few days, all stuffed into a backpack. 

It was dumb, but he brought his laptop and his mic as well -- on the off chance that he did stay and he needed to stream.

There were a lot of  _ off chances _ in what he was doing, but he told himself he was preparing for anything. He was being cautious. 

He wasn't being presumptuous. 

He wasn't being  _ hopeful _ .

He wasn't trying to talk himself into saying those three words and having the vain wish that maybe Sykkuno would say them back and want him to actually  _ stay  _ for a little while. 

For a lot of  _ wasn't _ , Corpse really was overthinking things.

At least when he got into the car and started the stereo, some of the worries drifted from his mind. He'd always enjoyed driving -- something about the motion, the music, the scenery passing by and knowing that the world around you could change that easily... that he could just go that easily and no one would even know where he was if he never came back... it was a nice thought. It was calming. 

When he was younger, he'd liked to get out and  _ drive _ to escape everything -- he hadn't been driving  _ toward _ anything then, though.

In fact, he couldn't remember the last time that he'd been going  _ to  _ something he wanted. Lately, he just drove to doctor appointments.

This was different.

This was  _ good _ . 

No matter what happened, he couldn't imagine a world where seeing Sykkuno's face  _ actually _ smiling at him wouldn't be a good one. Even if that was all that he got -- an in-person smile -- Corpse was aware of the fact that it would be more than worth the ten hours of driving.

_ I'm into you _ .

Even if he couldn't say them aloud, those three words were playing through his mind, and there wasn't a damn thing that he could do to try to refute their truth. Not with how he was reacting.

Not with how he was anxious in both a bad way  _ and _ a good way.

And not with the way that Sykkuno had seemed to pick up on it and was teasing it out of him. 

It had been a long time since someone had confused him this much, and if it weren't for the fact that Sykkuno was so damn cute with  _ everything _ that he did, Corpse might have been a little upset about it.

As it was, it seemed to just make him even more stuck on the idea of those three words.

Life was strange... but at least he had a 5-hour drive to both hype himself up and fall deeper into worry about what was going to happen. It was mostly good for him.

Mostly.

* * *

He was slightly achy by the time he finally pulled into the driveway of the address that Sykkuno had given him -- he should have stopped for more breaks and stretching, but he just wanted to _get there_. He'd left later in the day, so it was already getting dark -- usually, that would have been a problem, but the older man honestly seemed to have just as fucked of a sleep schedule as Corpse did, so there was a chance that he was just now waking up. 

He kept the car running for a few moments; his heart was somewhere near the back of his throat, and he leaned his head back on his seat and let out a little groan.

"I'm into you _. _ " He practiced the words one more time aloud, starkly aware of the fact that there was a high probability that they wouldn't leave his lips until he was out of the state of Nevada, and then opened his car door. 

There weren't many people on the street, but he still took the time to pull up his hood and make sure his face mask was in place. The last thing that he needed was someone noticing him going on -- not that Sykkuno had  _ actually _ leaked anything, so no one even knew he was living here.

He was over-analyzing and trying to talk himself out of it. Before his mind could continue the vicious cycle, he took a few quick steps forward and raised his fist to knock on the door.

It swung open before he could, very nearly leaving his knuckles rapping on Sykkuno's slightly flushed face.

"Oh. H-hey, Corpse!" He managed the same greeting that he gave when they were in-game, but there was something slightly different about the tone of it.

Or maybe it was just the fact that he was actually standing there, in front of him... 

"Hey, Sy." Corpse managed to growl the words out, while something on the back of his tongue was idiotically trying to make him say that he was  _ so cute.  _ Something at the base of his skull was trying to tell him to step forward and  _ show him _ . The majority of him was  _ screaming _ to run away.

Instead, he clenched his fingers together in the pocket of his hoodie and stood awkwardly in the doorway. 

"Uh... I..." Sykkuno smiled, hid it quickly behind fingers -- of course, he would still do that in person, wouldn't he -- and stood just as awkwardly as he did. He was in a dark red hoodie, and only one of his hands was hidden in the pocket. Probably because he had to keep the other one free for his face. "I was... watching out for you. I didn't... uh..." he seemed to scramble for a moment, "I didn't want to be in the bathroom or something when you showed up and you think that you had the wrong address... is that weird?" He hesitated for a moment, "That's not weird, right?"

And just like that, Corpse felt the warmth in his chest bubble up into something more manageable. Laughter. Like always, Sykkuno made him  _ giggle _ , and he felt some of the tension that had been burning so violently in his chest spill away. Like he could sense it, Sykkuno stepped to the side and smiled at him. "You can come on in. I actually have some furniture now, so I'm,  _ uh...  _ I'm glad that you waited to visit. Otherwise, it would have just been empty, right?" 

It wasn't hard for him to come to the realization of something that he'd already suspected but wasn't sure of. 

Sykkuno was just as nervous as he was.

He couldn't remember if he'd seen him in a stream acting like this with any of his other friends... but this was in person.

In person was  _ different _ . He just hadn't realized  _ how different  _ it was going to be. The thing was, Sykkuno was so close, even though he'd made room to step back and let him in, and his face looked sweet and his hair looked soft...

And Corpse let out the smallest groan.

"I, uh..." 

"I have two rooms, so, uh... if you need to rest for the night before you head back, you c-can..." He covered his face again for just a minute, but Sykkuno's dark eyes were all warmth. "Only if you wanted to stay. Or, you can stay longer if you want to check out Vegas. Not that you can much right now, but still... Uh," He paused, awkward, "I wasn't sure and I didn't think to ask you, and then I didn't want to call you while you were driving... so... uh..." He fidgeted on the spot for a moment. "I bought an extra blanket, just in case."

His chest felt warm, and he couldn't stop the smile that was probably reaching his eyes even behind his mask. He pulled down his hood so that his dark curls could spring loose and nodded. "That would be great, Sy," his voice was soft, careful. "I just... I have to get some stuff out of my car, and then you can give me a tour?"

Sykkuno was already skipping out ahead of him, "I can help."

Of course, he could.

Somehow, the fact that Sykkuno had seen through to the anxieties that he had, sorted them out and managed to make his chest warm and his stomach do a flip both helped and made something inside of Corpse nearly  _ spin.  _

_ Something _ was going to change. He just... wasn't sure what yet.

He didn't like change... but for Sykkuno,  _ for the chance _ , he was willing to try. 


	3. i want--

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corpse brought the hoodie, but now what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are honestly so sweet with all of your kudos and comments. It really pushes me to keep writing! I'm going to be updating this as frequently as I can (see: try not to start another long-fic until I'm done with this one), so hopefully, everyone enjoys where it goes!

It was obvious that Sykkuno still hadn't gotten completely unpacked. There were boxes here and there, and he actually had the grace to look slightly embarrassed about it.

"I'm just not sure where I want everything to go," he admitted it in a softly flustered voice that Corpse found endearing. "I've never lived somewhere with so much space."

There were three bedrooms. At first, Corpse wondered if Sykkuno had plans for a roommate any time soon. The simple answer had been that the price for this place was still cheaper than a one-bedroom in California, and at the time he was just thinking of how nice it would be to have the extra space in case he had guests. 

"See, isn't it nice? You have your own room, and there's even a bathroom that you have all to yourself. It's like your own little vacation getaway. But, uh, I guess you'd probably go somewhere more relaxing for a vacation, huh?" He smiled, covered it quickly, and Corpse laughed softly in return.

"This is relaxing, Sykkuno." His words were soft, very carefully chosen. "It's nice. I don't feel..." He tried to think around how he wanted to phrase his thoughts, to make sure that he was saying it correctly so it didn't come off as... too weird, at least. "I don't feel any expectations. You're just..." his hand came up, ringed fingers clicking together slightly as he shifted them in the air in an attempt to summon up the words that were still thick and stuck somewhere at the back of his throat. 

"I'm just happy to have you here." Sykkuno supplied, and though that wasn't what Corpse had been thinking in the slightest, it still somehow fit to complete the sentence perfectly.

"I'm happy to be here." He murmured a soft response, and had a moment to watch Sykkuno's cheeks turn slightly pink before he turned with a flourish.

"This is the room you'll be staying in. Mine is," he turned, pointed to the door on the opposite side of the wall, "Right there. So if you need anything, you can just let me know." He threw the door open and smiled. 

The blankets were a dark, wine red. The walls were mostly bare, but he'd set up a desk and a chair in the corner, and the windows were completely covered with blackout curtains. There wasn't much else in there, but Corpse honestly didn't mind. He wasn't a person for fancy things or a lot of clutter. 

It was nice.

And the bed looked comfortable -- the mattress was thick and looked like Sykkuno had actually added a topper to it. Corpse turned, arched one dark brow and then peeked back over his shoulder into the other room that had been pointed out. 

"Why does my bed look more comfortable than yours, Sykkuno?" 

Sykkuno's was a thin mattress on top of a futon. Beside him, there was a small, nervous laugh.

"No reason. I just... uh, I like the futon? And... I'm used to it anyway." The pink on his cheeks was growing deeper, more vibrantly red now. "And... uh... when I was out shopping for extra blankets, I saw the topper, and... uh..." his voice was picking up in speed, as though he wanted to finish what he was saying as quickly as possible, to spill it out before it completely strangled him. "I was just thinking about how you probably want to be on something soft when you sleep? It's a good mattress, but I didn't know if it was good _enough_ , and I knew the topper would make it better. And you were driving for such a long time, so I didn't know if you would be sore, and... I-I just wanted you to be comfortable." The words came out in such a quick blur that it took him a moment to actually process what Sykkuno was saying.

He'd bought a mattress topper (and potentially an expensive mattress) because he was thinking about his condition, and about the fact that sitting in a car for five hours might make it worse.

Sykkuno had put that much thought into wanting him to be happy and comfortable.

It made something in his chest ache, because he honestly couldn't think of the last time that someone had actually put that much care into doing something for him. Even when he had stayed with friends before, they'd always made sure that he had a bed.

They hadn't really thought about if the bed was _good_ enough for him. Hell, he'd stayed on a couch more than once, and his body had screamed at him for it the next day, but he'd never complained. 

Just having someone to stay with had been nice.

Having someone who cared this much and put this much thought into how he was going to feel though...

"Sy..." His voice was soft when he started, and Sykkuno's eyes flared.

"Oh, Jesus. I hope that isn't weird. I didn't want you to think that I was being weird, or that I thought you expected it, I just--"

"It's really sweet, Sykkuno. Thank you." He managed to cut him off before he worked himself into a complete tizzy, and then took a few steps into the room to dump the bag that he was carrying. Sykkuno followed, carefully setting the laptop bag onto the bed. When he'd softly inquired about it, Corpse had explained that he wanted it on the off chance that he needed to work, or if he needed to stream. Sykkuno seemed more than pleased about the prospect of it. Right now, though, the blush on his face was deepening to the point that he actually brought his hand up to cover his face again for a moment. His other waved carefully.

"I'm sure anyone would do the same thing, Corpse."

"They really haven't." He wasn't sure why he had to tell him that, or why his voice was so low that it was nearly nothing more than vibrations through the air. They seemed to land along Sykkuno's nerves though, communicate even though they were barely audible. His dark eyes looked up, and he managed to pull his hand down and offer Corpse the softest of smiles, just the quirk of the corner of his mouth. It meant a lot, though.

There was silence between the two of them for a moment -- a silence where Corpse was aware of the fact that they were alone in a room and standing very close together at the edge of a bed. After a second, Sykkuno took a breath and filled it. "So, I can't wait to see the hoodie." 

Oh.

Right.

The merch. 

It was the reason that he'd come in the first place -- at least, it was the reason that he'd said he'd come in the first place? Being here, this close to Sykkuno and realizing that in person _was_ completely, **completely** different... there was a very obvious thundering in his heart that told him that he was here for those three words just as much as he was for the delivery. 

"Right. Right, here... let me..." he unzipped the backpack and pulled out the smaller hoodie first. It was still in the bag that it had been delivered in. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out the second one as well. The one that smelled like him -- the one that was larger and had obviously been worn a few times. "You said you wanted two, right? I washed the smaller one, because I know you don't like wearing things without washing them first. And then the second one is mine -- I had it on before, but it's still clean... I only wore it to stream," he could feel his cheeks tinging slightly pink at his words -- he was offering Sykkuno a hoodie that he wore. _His_ hoodie, and he knew that part of the reason that he was doing it was that it would make something in his chest feel wildly _satisfied_ to see him in it. Slightly flustered, Corpse quickly added, "I could only get the one in your size, but I wanted to make sure that you got both, so..."

It wasn't the new one that Corpse held forward that Sykkuno grabbed. It was the larger one that had a few strands of dark, curly hair clinging to the hood. Sykkuno took it with quick fingers and held it up. His lips pulled into a bit of a wider smile, full and still pressed together but obviously excited. "Wow, Corpse. It looks great." He actually stepped back and pulled the hoodie that he was wearing over his head.

There was a brief flash of his tan skin -- the slightest expanse of a taut and lean stomach when his white t-shirt beneath rode up. Corpse only just managed to tear his eyes away from it as Sykkuno yanked the red fabric off and tossed it onto the bed. 

"Let me just... _eh_." Sykkuno slid the larger hoodie over his head in a quick motion. It hit him at the top of his thigh -- a little too big. But Corpse had honestly never seen anything that looked _so good_ on someone before. He had to take a moment, take more than one breath before he could even think to respond, and even then he was having trouble coming up with _words_. Sykkuno stood in front of him, his hands nearly hidden behind too-long sleeves when he brought fingers up to fix his hair. "It's... uh... really nice. It looks good!" And then, after just a second, Sykkuno lifted his hand to his face again and Corpse _heard_ it when he inhaled. He laughed, soft, the sound catching in the back of his throat. "It... uh, it smells really nice, too." 

There was a brief and fleeting moment where his eyes actually unfocused and his entire body felt warmth tickling through it from the way that Sykkuno _said_ that and the way that he _looked_ in the over-sized hoodie. "Mmmm." He couldn't manage words, and the sound that pooled from his throat wasn't exactly intelligible. Sykkuno gave a small, nervous laugh in response.

"N-no wonder people bought your cologne. I--uh, anyway." He dipped his hands into the pocket in the front and swayed back and forth for a moment, like a bird caught in the eye of a snake. The warmth spreading through Corpse's frame was shifting to pure heat, and he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to think around it, to breathe around it, to--

"We should probably get you something to eat, huh? I bet you didn't stop much on your way here." Sykkuno's voice came out quick, and he was ducking out of the bedroom, through the door frame, before the thoughts that were trying to burn through Corpse's mind could coalesce into something tangible. 

"Yeah, I'm kind of hungry." 

Double entendre, and he knew it. Sykkuno might have known it, too, from the way that his eyes widened just slightly. But then he was talking about how he'd shopped, that he _googled_ things that wouldn't bother GERD because he wanted to make sure that there were things that Corpse could eat and drink in the house in case he did decide to stay, and he was retreating to the half-unpacked kitchen in a swish of dark fabric.

Corpse only took a second to press his hands to his face -- it was hot. He wasn't even _sure_ what had happened there, other than the fact that he'd imagined Sykkuno in that hoodie a hundred times and his mind hadn't managed to come remotely _close_ to how good it would look -- other than the fact that Sykkuno's pupils had slightly widened when he inhaled the scent, his lips slightly parted, and--

"Are you coming?"

He coughed, ran fingers through his curls, and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, of course." And he very decidedly stepped out of the bedroom and the possibilities that had been assaulting him there. _That_ wasn't what he'd come here for, right? **_I want you_** , were three different words completely, and he wasn't sure if either of them could handle him saying that just yet. 


End file.
